Knowing how to clean AC coils is a money-saving DIY skill, an easy way to maintain efficiency and save on energy costs. Regular, bi-monthly coil cleaning with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner during warmer months will keep your AC unit in great working order for years to come.
Simple Green makes an AC friendly cleaner. The manufacturer recommends 409 so that's what I used.
Apply Coil Cleaner: Spray a commercial coil cleaner on the coils. If using a homemade solution, a mix of warm water and a few drops of dish soap can work. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse (if necessary): If using a rinseable cleaner, carefully rinse the coils with water.
If you don't want to do that, you can try a decently strong mix of dish soap and water in a spray bottle. It may not be as effective as coil cleaner depending on how dirty the coils are, but it won't damage anything as long as you rinse it thoroughly.
Potassium or sodium hydroxide are widely used as active ingredients in coil cleaners.
You could also use a homemade mix of water and mild detergent (like dish soap) instead of commercial chemical cleaners. After cleaning the coils, it's also a good time to inspect the other parts of the unit. Inspect the condensate drain pan and remove anything that doesn't belong there.
Spray. Next, spray a generous amount of WD-40 in the cooling fins of the A/C, going from left to right. Let the solution sit for 15-20 minutes. This cleaning agent will expertly go deep into the cooling fins, while any other cleaning solution would only clean them up from the outside.
While Dawn dish soap is a versatile cleaning agent, it's not recommended for cleaning AC coils due to its chemical composition. Household cleaners like Dawn may not effectively remove stubborn buildup and could potentially harm the coils or other components of the system.
Dissolves Buildup: The acidic nature of vinegar helps dissolve accumulated debris and gunk in the drain lines, keeping them clear. Antimicrobial Properties: Vinegar kills mold and bacteria, eliminating foul odors that can emanate from your AC system.
If you don't want to buy specialized coil cleaner, you can mix warm water with detergent and put it in a spray bottle. It won't work quite as well, but it's easy to make, cheap, and readily available in most every home.
How Long Must I Wait After Coil Cleaning Before Turning On The Air Conditioner? Before using the air conditioner, make sure it is totally dry. After cleaning the coils, wait 30 to 60 minutes before turning on the air conditioner.
Cal-Green is an all-natural environmentally friendly condenser coil cleaner. This low-foaming, non-toxic cleaner is outstanding for removing dirt and grime which hinders heat transfer. By cleaning the fins with Cal-Green you, restore the unit's efficiency while being environmentally responsible.
Use a can of compressed air (which you can purchase at any hardware store) to gently blow large particles of debris and dirt out of the evaporator coils. Any debris that is stuck can be worked away using your soft bristle brush. Make sure you are not using a metal or wire brush because it can damage the coils.
This powerful cleaner and degreaser is EPA Safer Choice Certified, designed for effective and environmentally safer use on counters, carpet, floors, fabric, equipment, vehicles and more.
The good news is that you absolutely can spray water on your air conditioner if it needs a cleaning, and nothing bad will happen. Spraying water on your AC's condenser also helps it run more efficiently. In fact, your condenser needs a regular spritzing in order to keep doing a good job.
Yes, vinegar mixed with water is often used to perform DIY cleaning on AC coils at home. However, vinegar is usually effective only against lighter dirt build-ups. Nevertheless, you can keep your coils in good shape by mixing white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and spraying the mixture onto the coils.
Step 7: Spray Your AC With Hydrogen Peroxide
You can use a spray bottle for this step. Fill the bottle with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and then spray the exterior housing and all of your window AC unit's interior surfaces and components. Then use a cloth to wipe down all the surfaces you can reach.
Regular, bi-monthly coil cleaning with Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner during warmer months will keep your AC unit in great working order for years to come. These steps can also be used to clean compressor coils in the outside cabinet of your AC.
First, check your filters and coils for dirt and debris that may be impeding airflow. Once you've cleaned the filters and coils, run the air conditioner with just the fan so that the ice accumulation can melt off. If the AC still doesn't blow cold air, it could be that refrigerant levels are too low.
Purple Power Industrial Strength Cleaner and Degreaser
A: That would be a good application for this product.
If you look at the air conditioning unit coils after a few quarters without cleaning, you will notice a layer of smoke and dust that can be seen with the naked eye. Using vinegar every few months will assist you in removing all of the bacteria and dust particles.
In most cases, you can get away with cleaning your coils once a year with a seasonal tune-up. However, you should consider where your unit is located. If you're in a big city with heavy air pollution, you may want to have the coils cleaned two times a year.
You'll want clean condenser coils after doing all that work inside. You can't use compressed air because it's a large job, but you can utilize a leaf blower and the same coil foam cleaner for the condenser coil. However, it will take about one to two bottles. Rinse everything with a water hose.